The Travelling Imago...Day 1.5

[darbs]

Let me preface this review with I've only had this bag for a day and going into this, I was thinking it would be too big for my needs.

I received the Travelling Imago yesterday and quickly ran home on my lunch break to fill it up and give it a test drive. Here are the things I need/wanted to carry:

Nook Color
Medium OP
Small OP
Quart size Ziploc bag with small snacks (protein bars, small packs of nuts)
Side Effect (small moleskin notepad, pen, mini OP used as wallet, assorted meds, eye drops, point & shoot camera)
Keys
Droid X smart phone

I've been thinking an MCB will fit my needs, but really like the styling of the Imago so I jumped at the chance to try it out. Today it holds all of the above including a pair of yoga capri pants and flip-flops and is in not stuffed full. First off, I love the look of the bag. The shape is great and with no real large items in there, it actually curves to my body a little which is nice. It is definitely much bigger than what I need, although I'm sure I could find a use for it. :) I hate whatever this strap is that came with it. You can see it in the original thread about the Travelling Imago started by Janine. The strap is awkwardly short (for me at least) and just seems huge for this bag. I do like how this bag is a little bit more structured and seems to really hold its shape. That is the one thing that has had me hesitating on a cafe bag. The pockets all work nice with the exception of the the small zip pockets on each end. The fabric inside the pockets doesn't fit tightly so it gets bunched up in the zippers making them nearly impossible to open and close. I've managed to fix one but have given up on the second. They are also small. I've yet to find anything that will fit in them. For me they are kind of wasted, but I could see if you had a smaller phone they might work for that. Although in this day and age with smart phones getting wider and flatter, a smaller phone might be difficult.

So far I'm on the fence about this bag. I really like the looks of it, but don't know that it is practical for my needs. I'm definitely ordering a MCB now. I'm going out of town for the next 4 days and am taking the Imago with me. I'll see how it works out, but I'm guessing I won't be adding this one to my collection anytime soon. :( (did I mention how great it looks?)

Oh, I do however LOVE this Forest color! I actually just had Katy send me a swatch of Forest and Conifer to compare and was already thinking they were both lovely. This bag actually makes me want to get bag of my own in one of these lovely colors.

[WhiteStar]

Nook Color
Medium OP
Small OP
Quart size Ziploc bag with small snacks (protein bars, small packs of nuts)
Side Effect (small moleskin notepad, pen, mini OP used as wallet, assorted meds, eye drops, point & shoot camera)
Keys
Droid X smart phone

I think a MCB is going to be pretty stuffed with this in it. It's the Side Effect that makes me think that. But then I don't actually own a side effect so maybe I have the size all wrong in my head. My MCB is really full if I put the following in it:

iPad
2 minil OP
1 small OP
wallet
iPhone
couple oranges
small knitting project

[darbs]

I ordered a mini OP to put the meds and such in. I'm thinking that will make it easier to switch things over so i can leave out the SE. The medium OP does not normally get taken, I just put in the Imago because it would fit. I'm going to play around a little once I get the MCB. I'm already saving up for a SCB and am thinking a LCB might be in order as well, but not for awhile. Hopefully the MCB will be here when I get back in town and I can make a better decision. Oh, and the strap is a Q-AM and is meant to be worn on the left shoulder with bag on right side, OPPOSITE of how I wear mine.

[darbs]

Update on the Imago

I used while on the road the last 4 days kind of as my catch-all/gear bag. It held everything that I needed it to hold, but I just didn't love it. I think my biggest issues were the unusable side pockets and the flap. I usually don't mind a messenger bag with a flap, but it just seemed to always be in the way for me. Also, I carry my bag cross body with the strap on my right shoulder and bag on my left hip. When I put my keys on the keystrap and dropped in the front pocket, it was hard to access. If I carried the bag on the opposite shoulder, it would have worked perfect. I even tried it out, but the bag just felt weird on that side. (Yes, that is a personal quirk and not a true issue with the bag.) The bag is also just a little too big for what I need. I know that it probably would be going into it, but still wanted to try it out. So while it looks great, it just isn't right for me. That being said, my new MCB is on its way! :)

PS> If you are interested in test-driving the Imago, let me know! I would love to send the Travelling Imago to you!

[julie01]

I used while on the road the last 4 days kind of as my catch-all/gear bag. It held everything that I needed it to hold, but I just didn't love it. I think my biggest issues were the unusable side pockets and the flap. I usually don't mind a messenger bag with a flap, but it just seemed to always be in the way for me. Also, I carry my bag cross body with the strap on my right shoulder and bag on my left hip. When I put my keys on the keystrap and dropped in the front pocket, it was hard to access. If I carried the bag on the opposite shoulder, it would have worked perfect. I even tried it out, but the bag just felt weird on that side. (Yes, that is a personal quirk and not a true issue with the bag.) The bag is also just a little too big for what I need. I know that it probably would be going into it, but still wanted to try it out. So while it looks great, it just isn't right for me. That being said, my new MCB is on its way! :)

PS> If you are interested in test-driving the Imago, let me know! I would love to send the Travelling Imago to you!

Is your offer of testing driving the Imago still open?